2 Corinthians 12 · Verse 21

2 Corinthians 12:21

And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

2 Corinthians 12:21, King James Version

2 Corinthians 12:21 in other translations

BSB	I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.
WEB	that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness, sexual immorality, and lustfulness which they committed.
ASV	lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.
YLT	lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.
DARBY	lest my God should humble me as to you when I come again, and that I shall grieve over many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented as to the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practised.
BBE	And that when I come again, my God may put me to shame among you, and I may have grief for those who have done wrong before and have had no regret for their unclean ways, and for the evil desires of the flesh to which they have given way.
Webster	And lest, when I come again, my God may humble me among you, and I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and lewdness, and lasciviousness, which they have committed.

What does 2 Corinthians 12:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

21. my God--his God, however trying the humiliation that was in store for him. will humble me--The indicative implies that the supposition will actually be so. The faithful pastor is "humbled" at, and "bewails" the falls of his people, as though they were his own. sinned already--before my last coming [Bengel], that is, before the second visit which he paid, and in which he had much at Corinth to rebuke. have not repented--shall not have repented [Alford]. uncleanness--for example, of married persons (1Th 4:7). fornication--among the unmarried.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 21. And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me, etc. Lest I should, be compelled to inflict punishment on those whom I supposed to have been converted under my ministry. I had rejoiced in them as true converts. I had counted them as among the fruit of my ministry. Now to be compelled to inflict punishment on them as having no religion would mortify me and humble me. The infliction of punishment on members of the church is a sort of punishment to him who inflicts it as well as to him who is punished. Members of the church should walk uprightly, lest they overwhelm the ministry in shame.

And that I shall bewail many, etc. If they repented of their sin, he could still rejoice in them. If they continued in their sin, till he came, it would be to him a source of deep lamentation. It is evident from the word "many" here, that the disorders had prevailed very extensively in the church at Corinth. The word rendered "have sinned already" means, "who have sinned before;" and the idea is, that they were old offenders, and that they had not yet repented.

The uncleanness. Rom 1:24.

And fornication, and lasciviousness, etc. 1Cor 5:1; 1Cor 6:18. This was the sin to which they were particularly exposed in Corinth, as it was the sin for which that corrupt city was distinguished. See the Introduction to the First Epistle. Hence the frequent cautions in these epistles against it; and hence it is not to be wondered at that some of those who had become professing Christians had fallen into it. It may be added, that it is still the sin to which converts from the corruptions and licentiousness of paganism are particularly exposed.

(a) "humble me" 2Cor 2:1 (b) "repented of the uncleanness" Rev 2:21 (c) "fornication and lasciviousness" 1Cor 5:1

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 21 Lest, when I come again - And even after all that has been done for you, I fear that when I do come - when I pay you my second visit, my God will humble me - will permit me to be affected with deep sorrow through what I may see among you; as I have been by the buffetings of the apostle of Satan, who has perverted you. Humiliation is repeatedly used for affliction, and here ταπεινωσῃ has certainly that meaning. Have sinned already - Προημαρτηκοτων· Who have sinned before; who were some of the first offenders, and have not yet repented. Of the uncleanness, etc. - There must have been a total relaxation of discipline, else such abominations could not have been tolerated in the Christian Church. And although what is here spoken could only be the ease of a few; yet the many were ill disciplined, else these must have been cast out. On the whole, this Church seems to have been a composition of excellences and defects, of vices and virtues; and should not be quoted as a model for a Christian Church. 1. From St. Paul we receive two remarkable sayings of our Lord, which are of infinite value to the welfare and salvation of man; which are properly parts of the Gospel, but are not mentioned by any evangelist. The first is in Act 20:35 : I have showed you, the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It Is More Blessed to Give than to Receive. Every liberal heart feels this in bestowing its bounty; and every poor man, who is obliged to receive help, and whose independency of spirit is still whole in him, feels this too. To the genuine poor, it is more burdensome to receive a kindness, than it is to the generous man who gives it. The second is recorded in the ninth verse of this chapter: He said unto me, My Grace Is Sufficient for Thee; for My Strength Is Made Perfect in Weakness. Of these two most blessed sayings, St. Paul is the only evangelist. This last is of general application. In all states and conditions of life God's grace is sufficient for us. If in any case we miscarry, it is because we have not sought God earnestly. Let no man say that he is overcome by sin through want of grace; God's grace was sufficient for him, but he did not apply for it as did St. Paul, and therefore he did not receive it. Men often lay the issue of their own infidelity to the charge of God, they excuse their commission of sin through their scantiness of grace; whereas the whole is owing to their carelessness, and refusal to be saved in God's own way; and in this way alone will God save any man, because it is the only effectual way. 2. The apostle must have been brought into a blessed state of subjection to God, when he could say, I take pleasure in infirmities; that is, in afflictions and sufferings of different kinds. Though this language was spoken on earth, we may justly allow, with one, that he learned it in Heaven. 3. St. Paul preached the Gospel without being burdensome. In every case the laborer is worthy of his hire. He who labors for the cause of God should be supported by the cause of God; but wo to that man who aggrandizes himself and grows rich by the spoils of the faithful! And to him especially who has made a fortune out of the pence of the poor! In such a man's heart the love of money must have its throne. As to his professed spirituality, it is nothing; he is a whited sepulchre, and an abomination in the sight of the Lord. If a man will love the world, (and he does love it who makes a fortune by the offerings of the poor), the love of the Father is not in him.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Corinthians 12:11-21

We owe it to good men, to stand up in the defence of their reputation; and we are under special obligations to those from whom we have received benefit, especially spiritual benefit, to own them as instruments in God's hand of good to us. Here is an account of the apostle's behaviour and kind intentions; in which see the character of a faithful minister of the gospel. This was his great aim and design, to do good…

Read the full comment on 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 →

2 Corinthians 12:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

μὴmēlestG3361

πάλινpalinagainG3825

ἐλθόντοςelthontoswhen was comingG2064

ταπεινώσῃtapeinōsēhe may humbleG5013

μεmemeG3165

ὁhotheG3588

θεόςtheosGod,G2316

μουmouof mineG3165

πρὸςprosbeforeG4314

ὑμᾶς,humasyou,G4771

καὶkaiandG2532

πενθήσωpenthēsōI may mourn overG3996

πολλοὺςpollousmanyG4183

τῶνtōnof thoseG3588

προημαρτηκότωνproēmartēkotōnhaving sinned beforeG4258

καὶkaiandG2532

μὴmēnotG3361

μετανοησάντωνmetanoēsantōnhaving repentedG3340

ἐπὶepiofG1909

τῇtēatheG3588

ἀκαθαρσίᾳakatharsiaimpurityG167

καὶkaiandG2532

πορνείᾳporneiaof sexual immoralityG4202

καὶkaiandG2532

ἀσελγείᾳaselgeiaof sensualityG766

ᾗhēthatG3739

ἔπραξαν.¶epraxanthey have practiced.G4238

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Corinthians 12:21

2 Corinthians 13:2
I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:
Colossians 3:5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
1 Corinthians 5:9-11
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
1 Peter 4:2-3
That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Galatians 5:19
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
1 Corinthians 5:1
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
Revelation 22:15
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Jude 1:23
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jude 1:7
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
2 Corinthians 7:9-11
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Ezra 9:3
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

my God.
7; 8:24; 9:3,4
that I.
2:1-4; Ex 32:31; De 9:15,25; 1Sa 15:35; Ezr 9:3; 10:1; Ps 119:136
Jer 9:1; 13:17; Lu 9:41,42; Ro 9:2; Php 3:18,19
sinned.
13:2
and have not.
2:5-11; 7:9-11; 10:6; 1Co 6:9-11; Re 22:20
uncleanness.
Ro 13:13; 1Co 5:1,9-11; 6:15-18; Ga 5:19; Eph 5:5,6; Col 3:5
1Th 4:3-7; Heb 13:4; 1Pe 4:2,3; 2Pe 2:10-14,18; Jude 1:7,23
Re 21:8; 22:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Corinthians 12:20
For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
2 Corinthians 12:21
And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Read all of 2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12:21 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Que cuando volviere, me humille Dios entre vosotros, y haya de llorar por muchos de los que antes habrán pecado, y no se han arrepentido de la inmundicia y fornicación y deshonestidad que han cometido.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et qu’étant de nouveau revenu au milieu de vous, mon Dieu ne m’humilie quant à vous, et que je ne sois affligé à l’occasion de plusieurs de ceux qui ont péché auparavant et qui ne se sont pas repentis de l’impureté et de la fornication et de l’impudicité qu’ils ont commises.
German Elberfelder 1871	daß, wenn ich wiederkomme, mein Gott mich eurethalben demütige, und ich über viele trauern müsse, die zuvor gesündigt und nicht Buße getan haben über die Unreinigkeit und Hurerei und Unzucht, die sie getrieben haben.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	ne iterum cum venero, humiliet me Deus apud vos, et lugeam multos ex iis qui ante peccaverunt, et non egerunt pœnitentiam super immunditia, et fornicatione, et impudicitia, quam gesserunt.